Simone Garusi and his wife Roberta first opened Italian Chef in 2014, combining their both their professional experience, as well as an undying passion for all things culinary. Unlike many other Italian restaurants that have been opening recently, Italian Chef brings us more of the traditional and regional side of Italian cooking, which includes many regional dishes that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in Melbourne.
Italian Chef
Clean and vibrant decor
Rocket and pear salad with pecorino cheese and honey
Polpette della nonna
Literally translating to grandma's meatballs, the polpette della nonna is something everybody's mother and grandmother would have their own secret family recipe for. The lovely homestyle meatballs were served in a well seasoned napoli sauce with a side of crostini, which was a lovely textural accompaniment.
Filetto al tartufo
The filetto al tartufo was one of the mains which attracted our attention the most. The dish of wonderfully cooked, tender beef and smooth mashed potato was a textural treat. I absolutely love the use of truffle in dishes, as the robust earthy aroma it provides is amazing. However, the eye fillet is a cut of beef which is slightly less flavourful, so although the aroma of truffle sauce coming out of the kitchen was amazing, the flavour was just the slightest bit overpowering.
Tortelli di zucca
We tried the tortelli di zucca as a recommendation from Simone. Italian Chef serves a variant of tortelli di zucca from Mantova in Italy, which is close to where Simone is from. This variation uses the usual pumpkin filling with a sage butter sauce, but also includes seed of peach and a caramelised fruit mustard from Mantova. A dish unlike any other I have tried before.
Spaghetti alla carbonara
The traditional carbonara is not something you can find at any old Italian restaurant, with many chefs substituting the more expensive ingredients, as well as using heavy cream as a base for the sauce. However, when I find a restaurant that serves the traditional style of carbonara which originates from Rome, I make sure to try it.
The traditional carbonara uses a base of black pepper and guanciale, which is a cured meat prepared with pork jowl or cheek. This is combined with the pasta, a small amount of pasta water, cheese (usually Parmigiano reggiano) and egg yolks, which are mixed into a sort of emulsion that becomes the wondrous sauce of the Spaghetti alla carbonara.
Although it did not fault the dish in any way, I did wonder why there was so much cheese strewn across the side of the pasta dishes.
The traditional carbonara uses a base of black pepper and guanciale, which is a cured meat prepared with pork jowl or cheek. This is combined with the pasta, a small amount of pasta water, cheese (usually Parmigiano reggiano) and egg yolks, which are mixed into a sort of emulsion that becomes the wondrous sauce of the Spaghetti alla carbonara.
Although it did not fault the dish in any way, I did wonder why there was so much cheese strewn across the side of the pasta dishes.
Chocolate mousse, lovely and sweet but not overpowering
Limoncello
As we were finishing the night off, Giuseppe offered us both shots of limoncello. Having never tried limoncello before I wondered what it would taste like. The limoncello is a lot more intense that similar drinks I have tried before, such as the Japanese Umenoyado yuzu-shu you find at Japanese bars. However, the flavour is quite refined and did not carry any immense sour notes, but instead more of the flavour you would find in the rind of the fruit, an overall lovely way to finish off the meal.
From the moment you step into Italian Chef, before even looking at the food or the menu, you can experience the warm Italian hospitality which was very welcoming. I would recommend everybody try Italian Chef at least once, as their innovation through tradition is something I have yet to find anywhere else in Melbourne, and if you have trouble figuring out what you want, the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.
We were invited and dined courtesy of Italian Chef.
From the moment you step into Italian Chef, before even looking at the food or the menu, you can experience the warm Italian hospitality which was very welcoming. I would recommend everybody try Italian Chef at least once, as their innovation through tradition is something I have yet to find anywhere else in Melbourne, and if you have trouble figuring out what you want, the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.
We were invited and dined courtesy of Italian Chef.
Food Rating 9/10
Overall Rating 9/10